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Ludger Will Kresnik vs The Fafnir Knight
Description Ludger vs fafnir.png Ludger vs Fafnir Transformed.png This What If Death Battle will feature Ludger Will Kresnik from Tales of Xillia 2 and the fafnir Knight from the Etrian Odyssey game with the same subtitle. (Off Season Episode) Interlude Theodore: The silent protagonist is a time treasured staple of the JRPG industry. Alice: They come in all shapes and sizes, even to the point where companies have started to stretch the whole "silent" aspect of their characters. Rena: Bah, who the hell cares about upholding definitions when you're making the main characters as badass as possible? Luther: Yeah, you've got the right idea, Rena. Just throw in some over the top anime transformations, unnatural hair colors, a central female character to protect 24/7, and you've got yourself the perfect recipe for a modern day realization of the classical knight. Sounds like a pretty neat position to me! Nova: You just say that because these character archetypes attract a shitton of potential love interests. Luther: I know, right? It's like all you've gotta do is stand around and listen to people talk in order to make yourself popular! Theodore: Er, suffice to say, today's heroes hold a very different outlook on the matter, Luth. Rena: Say hello to Ludger Will Kresnik, the chromatic severer of fate. Alice: And The Fafnir Knight, the chosen slayer of Yggdrasil. Nova: Uh... Do we have some sort of official name for our second combatant? It's gonna be pretty damn awkward just calling him by his full title throughout the entire episode. Theodore: I... suppose we can always improvise? We'll figure that out once we cross the bridge in question. Luther: You can probably see all our names on screen right about now, and it's our job to analyze their weapons, armor, and skills to find out who would win... Everyone: A DEATH BATTLE! Ludger Kresnik Cue Music 1 Nova: Say, are you guys familiar with the Multiverse Theory? Theodore: Indeed, the idea has been met with rising popularity in recent days. The very possibility of an infinite number of alternate worlds, all with their own unique changes to our set timeline is rather fascinating. Rena: I bet somewhere out there, there's a world where we're all a bunch of NPCs in a gigantic MMORPG created by a bunch of Four Dimensional beings! Theodore: That's an... oddly specific example. Luther: Well if anyone out there has no idea what we're talking about, then we'd better lay down some context right away. Alice: Today's tale revolves an unassuming young man by the name of Ludger Will Kresnik. Having lived most of his life in a dinky little apartment with nobody but an obese cat and his older brother to keep him company, Ludger may not look like your average JRPG protagonist... Nova: But in classic JRPG fashion, it would only a single day to turn this man's life over its head. Shall we run down the list of shenanigans? Luther: Let's see, on that day Ludger met up with a socially inept scientist running late for the local train, a mysterious little girl carrying around a shiny pocket watch, got framed for kidnapping by the very same girl, and got wrapped up in a terrorist plot to assassinate an important political figure. Rena: Damn, that's one exciting first day on the job for a guy that can barely even talk! That's not even getting into the foreboding dream he experienced on that very morning! Theodore: Oh, Ludger CAN talk when the plot demands it... Alice: Although the game doesn't allow him to audibly speak most of his lines until you unlock New Game Plus, which is total horse shit. Cue Music 2 Nova: If it means anything to you guys, jumping straight into the action sounds like a much better alternative than sitting through hours of expository dialogue. Theodore: Now I have to ask: Just how dangerous was Ludger's previously planned chef job if he deemed it necessary to pack a pair of blades with him along the way? Luther: They sure are convenient for taking out the bad guys though! I bet that brings back memories, eh guys? Rena: You bet! Just what are odds that all ten of us would be aboard the exact same (though completely unrelated) ride? Nova: Here's a better question: What's with the constant stream of terrorist train hijackings we've been seeing lately? It happens SO often that you'd expect some better security than a bunch of low level Redshirts! Alice: Anything to make the heroes look cooler, I suppose. Sure enough, a mutual alliance with previous protagonist Jude Mathis allowed Ludger to cut his way through to the train's cockpit with relative ease, but everything started to turn to hell when dear old brother Julius and the same mysterious girl (whose name is Elle Mel Marta by the way) from earlier got involved. Theodore: Before the party could engage in any game changing revelations, Elle's mysterious pocket watch inadvertently caused a chain reaction that transported the lot of them into an alternate dimension! Luther: So after a slew of confusing events and a shadowy introductory boss, Ludger would soon awaken to find that the train he'd been attempting to save in his own dimension had suffered one hell of a crash while the entire party was still on it! Nova: Ah but don't worry, the wonders of modern health care were more than capable of nursing everyone back to full capacity... At the teeny tiny cost of 20 million Gald. Luther: *spits drink* TWENTY MILLION!? For health care?! I knew inflation's been heating up in recent years but this is f*cking ridiculous! Alice: Needless to say, nobody in the party could even come close to reaching such a demand, which resulted in Ludger getting thrown to the loan sharks and slapped with a very hefty debt. Theodore: To make matters even worse, the public had come to the conclusion that big brother Julius had been the one responsible for these catastrophe, forcing Ludger to personally track him down lest he become a wanted fugitive. Cue Music 3 Rena: Not exactly the best way to start an adventure, but luckily Ludger's got an impressive arsenal to back him up along the way. As we've said earlier, his main weapons are a pair of twinblades held in a badass reverse grip pose! Theodore: These weapons emphasize speed and agility while still allowing Ludger to rack up damage with an incredibly versatile moveset for just about any situation. Nova: But why stick with a basic swordfighting style when you can just carry around three different weapons at once? Luther: Not long after being drafted into his little worldwide manhunt, a certain idiotic goofball stepped in to introduce Ludger to the remaining two thirds of his initial moveset. Alice: First and foremost are Ludger's dual pistols, which not only allow him to wail on foes from a distance (What else do expect?) but they also grant him access to a wide variety of elemental attacks, in turn allowing him to capitalize on enemy weaknesses at any given opportunity. Rena: Yeah guns are pretty cool, but you just can't beat out the satisfaction of slamming people over the head with a huge sledgehammer! Don't let this thing's size fool you now, cause Ludger can swing it around like an oversized baseball bat! Nova: This hammer's great for breaking through a foe's guard too, and it's selection of Artes are a lot more creative than you might expect at first! Luther: Or downright impossible in the case of Hammer Toss. He throws the damn thing forward... and it gravitates back to his hand. All while it's on fire. How the does that work?! Theodore: I suppose that's a tale for another day. What's truly important is Ludger's uncanny ability to switch between these weapons at any point in battle, allowing him to freely adjust his tactics and extend his already wicked combo potential! Cue Music 4 Alice: I'm sure everyone at home can imagine that these abilities alone are more than enough to make Ludger into a powerful main character in his own right, but there's still one... massive tidbit we've yet to touch on. '' Rena: Ooh, is it time to spoil the story again? I've really been waiting to cover this one! Nova: So does anyone else remember that alternate dimension from the beginning of the game? That's referred to as a Fractured Dimension, and there's plenty of others just like that one all over the place. And the universe that Ludger resides in, aka the main canon is known as the Prime Dimension. '''Theodore: Now normally, it would be impossible for one to travel between these planes of existence, but Ludger is a unique case, as is every member of the extensive Kresnik family.' Luther: This whole concept sounds cool and all, but unfortunately for everybody involved, the very existence of these Fractured Dimensions threatens that of the Prime Dimension. Alice: Which is where Ludger has a a huge part to play. Under the aid of the Spirius Corporation, it would eventually become his mission to travel to as many of these dimensions as possible and, you guys better brace yourselves. Rena: It's Ludger's job to use his special powers to destroy every last one of these alternate realities, inadvertently making him one of the biggest mass murderers in fictional history! Luther: You sounded WAY too cheerful saying that. Nova: In order to properly achieve this goal, the Kresnik family has been granted a special power known as the Chromatus, or Corpse Shell if you live in Japan. The latter one definitely sounds cooler. Theodore: The Chromatus is one of the most destructive powers I've laid eyes on and well... I suppose it must be seen to be believed. Cue Music 5 Alice: After experiencing a less than pleasant transformation sequence, the Chromatus encases Ludger a spazzy new set of armor and equips him with a dual bladed lance to grant a massive boost to his combat capabilities. Rena: Uh... where does that armor even come from anyway? Theodore: Technically, it's not even armor at all, since it comes straight from Ludger. The Chromatus basically manifests its powers in an armor like form. record scratch here. And pause Music 5 Luther: Hold up, does that mean-'' Nova: Yep! Ludger's completely naked whenever he transforms! ''Luther: Bloody hell, please tell me you're kidding! You're giving me the worst mental images right now! '' Alice: Oh that really is the in-game explanation for everything, and a rather creative way of skirting through with a T Rating if I do say so myself. ''Luther: So... what do you think this means for... other characters? Perhaps a certain waif- OW! Rena: No! Bad Luther! Get those thoughts out of your head! Music 5 Theodore: Disturbing implications of the transformation aside, the Chromatus not only gives Ludger an entirely new moveset to work with, but even the weakest form of this power allows him to create alternate dimensions on a whim. Rena: You mean there's more than one stage of this transformation? Like a JRPG Super Saiyan? Nova: You're not too far off the mark, actually. The Chromatus has four possible stages of power depending on how much meter Ludger's built up, gaining new power, abilities, and some extra armor coverage with each new stage. Alice: At Stage 1, Ludger's attacks expend no TP and he's nearly impervious to all types of damage, though he will lose time off of his transformation for every hit he takes. Rena: Stage 2 allows him to use his Mystic Arte, Form Destroyer! This attack has Ludger throw a shitton of spears at his target before skewering 'em at breakneck speeds, at the cost of prematurely ending the transformation. Luther: Stage 3 doesn't really change too much, but I'm getting curious. What's all this I'm hearing about creating alternate dimensions? Theodore: Allow me to explain: Upon activating the Chromatus, Ludger can either decide to fight on as he normally would or transport his foes into an alternate space created from his own power. Alice: You can think of it like Scorpion's Netherworld warping, though the actual effects of this dimension on Ludger are completely unknown. Rena: What you really wanna keep in mind is Ludger's ability to DESTROY these dimensions on a whim! Luther: Whoa whoa whoa, you really should think before you start to imply-'' Nova: "Imply" nothing, this shit's official! The answer lies in the Chromatus's final stage, but first we have a another slew of important plot points to cover. '''Theodore: As you may recall, Ludger's ability to transform comes from the pocket watch of his good friend Elle Mel Marta, but of course there's much more to this mysterious 8 year old girl than meets the eye. Rena: For starters, it turns out Elle's not even FROM the Prime Dimension at all! She's the daughter of a masked man they find in a late game Fractured Dimension who goes by the name of Victor. Alice: Who just so happens to be an fractured version of Ludger from an alternate future. '''''Luther: So wait, that means Elle is... Ludger's daughter? How the hell does that work?! Nova: Don't you mean how the ELLE does that work? ... Alice: Let's just wrap this up before we get too far off track. Long story short, Victor turned out to be a murderous psychopath responsible for single handedly killing off his own dimension's versions of the entire party. Theodore: Why exactly? Well the overuse of one's Chromatus powers will eventually turn you into a Divergence Catalyst, the very phenomenon responsible for the creation of Fractured Dimensions. Now of course Ludger would end up defeating this dastardly villain in short order, but at the cost of a startling revelation. Rena: Not only has Elle been paying the price for Ludger's transformations all along, but big bro Julius isn't too far off from becoming a Catalyst either. Nova: Now depending on the player's choice, Ludger can go the route of Victor and kill off the rest of the party on his own- Luther: Which is a pretty ridiculous feat since this is basically an 8.5 on 1 fight! And two of those party members were the final bosses of the previous game! Theodore: Or Ludger can choose to take up his brother's offer on a climactic duel to the death, with this route eventually culminating in the last minute emergence of the Level Four Chromatus! Alice: And by last minute, we mean he attains this power to curbstomp the final boss into submission. It's also the same power that proves Ludger can freely create and destroy his own his own alternate realities. Luther: And... you're absolutely sure this power is consistent? Nova: Hell yeah it is! Recall back to any time Ludger destroys a Divergence Catalyst: The entire Fractured Dimension literally shatters into pieces like a broken mirror. This is the same thing we see at the end of Ludger's final Mystic Artes Eternal Waltz, just sped up to match the flow of combat. Luther: That still sounds pretty damn absurd to me... Alice: If it helps you sleep at night, we're only using this explanation to "appeal to the masses", if you get what my drift. '' '''Theodore: I wouldn't exactly go around calling Lugder invincible if that's what you're thinking. As well rounded as he is, the Chromatus isn't the kind of power he can spam indefinitely and Ludger's healing options are very limited outside the use of items (which will be banned on both sides).' Rena: Other than that, I think I can confidently say that pissing off Ludger, let alone threatening his beloved daughter is the last thing you'd ever wanna do! The Fafnir Knight Cue Music 6 Nova: Quick! It's pop quiz time! Imagine that the planet is on the verge of death and the world has chosen YOU to come up with a plan to save it! What will you do?! Rena: Ooh I know this one! It's uh... Luther: If your answer was to plant seven gargantuan trees based off the very same Tree of Life from Norse Mythology all throughout the world, then you'd be absolutely correct! Rena: Hey, I knew that! Stupid timed tests... I always hated these. Alice: This answer would also make you an impatient moron because the project was rushed before any big failsafes could be implemented. Luther: Rushed seems like a bit of an understatement when nobody could properly test out the system before creating SEVEN freakin' trees just like it! Theodore: Sure, the aptly named Yggdrasil Project would go on to ensure that life could flourish a millennia later, but it would also make the situation even WORSE than it was before when given enough time. Nova: Yeah, it turns out whoever was behind this project was a pretty huge fan of the Cthulhu mythos because of all the ugly tentacle monsters lurking beneath all seven trees! It's cool come up with new life forms and all but how the hell is that even possible, even if it's an accident?! Alice: I suppose if we're going to give credit where it's due, the scientists behind the project were able to pinpoint the flaws in the program ahead of time and began developing countermeasures in the event of a worst case scenario. Rena: Plenty of those countermeasures came with their own issues, but for now, we're just gonna jump a thousand years into the future and shift our focus to a bustling little town known as High Lagaard. Luther: Ironically enough, the success of this town can be greatly contributed to a nearby Yggdrasil tree, which just happened to transform into an extensive JRPG labyrinth housing all sorts of monsters, treasures, and goods after all this time. Theodore: If you're wondering why the Yggdrasil tree hasn't gone on it's foretold world destroying rampage by now, well the answer lies in an age old ritual taking place every hundred years. Nova: Said ritual apparently involves sending a sheltered, airheaded princess into the middle of a treacherous monster infested ruin. Alice: It would obviously be a suicide mission to send the girl in alone, which is where our game's protagonist comes in. Meet... Luther: ...Um, Allie? Are you gonna say his name or what? Alice: That's kind of the problem. The protagonist doesn't have an official name, just a fancy title. It's all up to the player in this case. Rena: Can we call him- Luther, Nova, and Theodore: NO. Rena: Boo! You guys didn't even listen to me! Nova: We're just gonna call him Fafnir, and it's his mission alongside his childhood friend Flavio to escort Princess Arianna through the depths of the mysterious Gin... Ginnungi... Genji... How the hell do you- Alice: It's Ginnungagap. Nova: I totally had it! Theodore: Yes, I'm sure you would have stuttered through eventually. Anyway, there's more to our protagonist's mission than meets the eye, which he found out the hard way upon entering the ruins. Luther: Because apparently those mysterious voices in his head weren't a sure sign of impending doom. Cue Music 7 Rena: Something tells me Flaffy here's not gonna care when he's already strong enough to cut down any low level monster that crosses his path! Luther: No Rena... That's the name of a Pokemon, not the protagonist. Rena: Well I guess because whatever you wanna call 'em spent most of his life as an obligatory orphan in the esteemed Midgar Library, he's clearly had all the time in the world to work on his fighting skills. Nova: Fafnir's fighting style revolves around a simple, but super effective strategy of pure unadulterated offense! Whether he's swinging around a regular blade or a katana- Alice: Preferably the latter. Because katanas are just better. Theodore: Our hero's main job is to deliver as much punishment as possible with the aid of his treasure trove's worth of offensive skills! Alice: Fafnir can sneak in the first attack with Sonic Blade, channel the three basic elements of fire, ice, and electricity into his weapon to exploit enemy weaknesses, or even sneak in extra attacks with Delay Chase. The Battle Pre Fight ... FIGHT! Results Which silent protagonist will you root for in this fight? Ludger The Fafnir Knight Category:Team MMYP Death Battles Category:Death Battles with/that had a mysterious combatant Category:What-If? Death Battles Category:Death Battles by 2 Different Series Category:Death Battles by 2 Different Companies Category:'Hero vs. Hero' Themed Death Battle Category:Sword Duel Category:'Video Games' themed Death Battles Category:'JRPGs' themed Death Battles Category:'Protagonist' themed Death Battle Category:Transformation themed Death Battles